Hyrule as Seen by a Third Party
by KalliopeStarmist
Summary: Kicked from one culture to another, looking for a home or a cooler name, forced into a spotlight that assasins are drawn to, what's a girl to do but play along? Never to be finished
1. An Extra Character is Born

Chapter1: AN EXTRA CHARACTER IS BORN!

Warning: I want to apologize to any people with me on their author alert list who keep getting emails about this fic, even though they can't stand Zelda. This Fic is subject to become angsty without warning. Read at your own risk (you're laughing, but I'm not joking)

This is a first attempt at a somewhat serious fic.(whimper) I don't deal well with constructive criticism, or any criticism for that matter. So please please please pretty please **_do not_** flame me! I **will** cry. And I know you don't want that. If you really want to insult me for some reason, go read Gary Bother, and review that! (Cowers under desk).

Oh, kids, don't ever, ever get really bored and decide to go watch your cousins and brother play Zelda until they drop, because it's one thing to play Zelda, and it's another thing entirely to watch someone else play. You start to get really into the characters, to wonder what they're like, what they're thinking, their life stories, and so forth, and eventually all you can do is write a fanfic like the one that you are about to read (not that I'm encouraging you to read this). That is what happened to me. (I can't play 64 to save a kitten's life. I was so happy when we got the GameCube version of OoT, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside... I could finally talk to all the characters again, and again, and again...)

If you're still reading, then I recommend you stop, because the angst starts just after this line:

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Of course, I don't remember much of my early childhood. I remember crisp mountain air, the stiffling heat of lava, and the gentle, and kind voices of my family. I remember the warmth of my lava-heated ciy.

The first family I knew was with the Goron people, of Death Mountain. You know who they are, right? Well, I guess you do. After all, you're just a figment of my imagination. My friends tell me that my life would make a great legend. So I'm making you up so I can get it just right. If that makes any sense. I'm going to try to tell this story as if I know nothing more than I did at the time I'm talking about. But that may be harder than it sounds, so bear with me.

Sorry, I guess I got side tracked. Umm. The Gorons. They found me somewhere near the mountain's summit when I was a baby. It's assumed that I am a Hylian. Whatever that was. Of course, I felt out of place, being the only Goron on the mountain that was skinny and weak and quick moving and had hair and ate this gross vegetable and meat stuff. But I was only little, so I never felt to bad about it. Children just don't understand inequality.

My family helped. I was sort of a pet, and they all loved me. I think. They gave me a little bomb-picking knife. (A stone knife designed cut bomb flowers so that they don't explode immediatly) I liked to try to help out with bomb harvests and such. I never did too well.

I must have worried and exasperated them terribly. Showing a child's typical disregard for her benefactors' feelings, I spent most of my time trying to do everything that I wasn't allowed to. I would climb anywhere I could get to. I was always on the summit, or out on the Fire Ruby's ledge, or sneaking into the Fire Temple and wandering until someone would find me. (I wore nothing but heat proof dresses. Do you blame me?)

When I was five, I earned a bomb bag. I was hiding in Dodongo's Cavern, when I was attacked by a baby dodongo. Somehow I threw my knife in the spot almost directly between its eyes, which is where the nerve is that causes them to explode. If you hit it, and it is supposed to be impossible to hit, the body won't explode after death, which is how Gorons get stomachs to make bomb bags. It may have been dumb luck, or it may be that I was a very skilled five-year-old. I'll let you decide.

When I turned seven, the Gorons decided that it would be best for me to leave. I was sent to the forest. To live with others like me. I'm not sure why they sent me away. I may have been too much for them to handle, or it may have been because of the difficulty of feeding me, or because they wanted me to be with creatures like myself. I don't even know how the arrangements were made. I just know I was asked to go. I was told that I could come back whenever. I was seven, and I didn't care. I didn't understand.

I took some bombs and my knife. That was it. (Unless you count clothes). I said goodbye to everyone. And I walked towards the strange music coming from the portal to the forest.

Imagine that you grew up on a mountain. Lava and rubble spew out at random intervals, at night, outside can go down almost to freezing. From the top, you can see all of the land beyond your home, but only as a vague green shadow. The only world you know is rock and fire. You do not know of any other kind of terrain but the slopes and cliffs of the mountain. Plants are almost nonexistent.

Now imagine that you suddenly, and without warning, find yourself in a forest. Now you can _almost_ imagine what it was like for me to step into my new world.

I was scared to find myself completely surrounded by _green_, with things that looked like bomb flowers all around me. I was so shocked that it took me some time just to realize that there was another person in this green enclosure. She blended in with her surroundings, with a green jumper over a green turtle-neck sweater and green hair. I didn't know then that green hair was unusual. I did know that this girl was the only other person I had ever seen who looked anything like me. I stared at her. She was perched on a bolder (one of the few things I did recognize), whistling a song unlike any I had ever heard. The song I had heard as I walked through the portal. Goron songs are more like chants. This was light, and full of life. I loved it, and its sound was the only thing that stopped me from running back to the safety of the mountain.

Now, I am a very shy person when it comes to talking to people, and this girl was the first

human I had ever met. a/n: Ok, so she isn't really human. Who cares? It was good that she noticed me and jumped down to greet me, or I would have sat there forever.

"Hi, I'm Saria" the person said, very quickly, like she had so much to say that she couldn't get it all out on time. "The Great Deku Tree told me that a new girl would be coming from the forest. He wanted me to make sure that you didn't get lost. I like the red clothes, but I think that the other Kokiri might think they're weird. We'll get you some nice green ones. You can sleep at my house, but you might want to stay with the others. I'm sure that they'll be very happy to get to know you. What's you name?"

It was the first time that the girl, (Saria?), had paused, and it took me by surprise. I had to think a minute before answering.

"I'm... um....uh...Aglaya," I stammered apoplectically.

"Ahglahyay is a pretty name,"Saria said, completely mangling the pronunciation,"Does it mean anything? Mine means Wise in Kokiri."

I laughed. Maybe I could manage being a human. "It means Flame's Light." I also tried to explain about the Gorons to Saria, but it was like explaining Rupees to fish. She had never left the forest, just as I had never left the mountain. I also showed her my knife, but I didn't mention the bombs. As far as I knew, they were available only on Death Mountain, and I didn't want to use the precious few I had. And who knew what a hyper kid like Saria would do with something that blew stuff up?

Saria thought that my fascination at the little things she saw everyday was astounding. "Trees" and "ponds" and "deku sprouts" were everyday matters for her. I asked her about the little ball of light following her around, and she laughed, then frowned, then started whispering to her private light source. Then she turned to me.

"Aglahah (she fumbled my name again), this is my fairy. Every Kokiri..."her voice faltered for a moment, "has one. Oh, look, one is following you around already!" I turned around to notice a little pink fuzz ball coming up behind me. I thought that it would be great to have a fairy. I had heard about them, of course, in stories, but I never thought that I would have my own guardian fairy! I was ecstatic. Saria didn't seem very delighted, though.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned for my new friend.

"Oh, nothing. Its just that, well, I, I have this friend, who doesn't have a fairy, and he gets teased a lot. But he's a really nice person, and you look a lot like him, and I though that maybe, if you didn't have a fairy, then maybe he wouldn't be so lonely."

(I found out later that most fairies talk to their Kokiri and help them and such. Mine never spoke a word to me. It just followed me around and hid in my hat. Maybe it wasn't a fairy?)

Given Saria's comments about her friend, plus the green dress she had given me to blend in, I felt a bit nervous about meeting my new companions. After all, she had said that they don't like people who are different. However, the Kokiri were somewhat civil to me. They did tease me about my mute fairy and unusual name (one called me Egg-Layer and I never forgave him), but they were all very friendly. They gave me a different, "pronounceable" name, Aine, which means something like Firefly of the Forest, which I think is sort of an honor. Possibly.

Saria introduced me to her fairy less friend, Link, who was practically my twin, even though he is a year younger than me.

I was a, well, I'll be nice and say an Unusual looking child. I always have, and probably always will look about a year younger than I am. My eyes are a bright blue, and when I was young, they took up about half my tear-drop-shaped face. My eyebrows blended with my skin, so I had perfectly shaped, lime green arches over my pointy-on-one-end-boxy-on-the other-eyes. My chin came to a point, and I think that I could have hurt someone by jabbing them with my nose. My ears were about as long as my head was tall, which is long even by Hylian standards.

Link did resemble me. We were both golden blond, with pointy ears, and both taller and thicker than our Kokiri buddies. Kokiri are a bit wispier than humans, but I didn't realize this till later.

It didn't take me to long to fit in with my new companions. One kid taught me how to do backflips and stuff. I gathered up sticks and nuts and seeds, and made friends with the skull kids. I even found another knife with a wooden handle and a little red forest mark. (You know the mark, its a little swirl. It looked nice against my stone handled knife with the Goron tulip.) I learned everything there was to know about the forest, and soon it was as much my home as the mountain. (I should tell you that I tried to go back to the Gorons the day after I arrived. A rock fall had blocked the entrance.)

I still missed my old home, though. Link was the only one in the forest who liked to hear about the Gorons. The rest didn't believe me. They thought that I had come from the forest, just like the rest of them. Even Saria thought that I was lying. But Link loved my old Goron fables, my stories about legendary heros. He may not have believed me, but he at least listened, and it made me less homesick. And we would play Dodongo buster. I was usually the dodongo.

I went for three years without ever seeing the Deku Tree. But when I was about 10, I was summoned. My fairy kind of tugged me over to the meadow, then disappeared. I never saw it again. (Odd little thing, huh?)

The Great Deku Tree told me (and I'm paraphrasing, because he uses lots of thous, hasts, and yeas) that I had to leave the forest. I was not a Kokiri. "Well, What AM I then?" I wanted to know. He didn't tell me. My mere presence would destroy my friends when I grew up. I didn't understand why, and he made no effort to explain.

I was angry, as you can imagine. I loved the forest as much as I loved the mountains. I wanted to stay with my friends, seeing who could dive the deepest, or who could stun Mido the most with deku nuts. (That was Saria's favorite game. I thought it was kind of mean. Mido was always so nice to her.) This was the second home I was being kicked out of before I was 11!

I raved, I ranted, and I screamed. Why are you doing this to me? I'm only 10! I can't survive on my own! Didn't the Gorons send me here so I would be safe? I had to say goodbye to my friends! Otherwise it would be like I abandoned them. I'm not going to murder my friends! Anyway, what if I stay? What is the not-so-Great Deku Tree going to do about it? Huh? Is it going to leaf me to death?

That last question was a bad idea. There was a huge gust of wind and dead leaves, and I was being blown out of the mighty tree's meadow.

I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that I was leaving. Most of my friends wouldn't believe me, or they would try to stop me. I tried to tell Link, too. But I couldn't even get to him to shout, the wind would blow so hard when I tried.

So I packed my stuff into my hat. Kokiri-style hats have a special feature. They're magical, and they can hold everything. That's why they wear them. Not just because they look funky. I was tucking my knives into my belt, when I thought of a way to tell Link good-bye. He was in the woods somewhere, so I went over to his house and carved a rather ugly picture of him fighting a Dodongo. Not much. But I couldn't think of anything else. I was ready to leave.

So I set out over the bridge that led to the "field", determined to make my way up to Death Mountain and back to my family. I could do it. How hard could it be? It was mid-afternoon. I knew I wouldn't be able to climb up to Goron City before dark, but I could make it to the village that I knew to be at the foot of the mountain, and someone there would find me a place to stay. I remembered seeing Hyrule "Field" from the mountain top. It never looked very big. I could walk that far easily.

With this plan firmly in mind, I walked over the bridge and into the outer world.

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See you at chapter 2. If you still want to read it. Which you probably don't.


	2. Mission: Catastrophic Sucess

Ch. 2- Mission: Catastrophic Success.

Just a friendly reminder not to flame me under any circumstances. Thank you. Also, thanks to everyone who wanted to flame me, but didn't. I love you.

Oh, and just to let you know, eventually there will be a few really corny jokes in here. Its not quite a serious, but not quite a funny fic. It's a little bit of both but not enough of either.

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It is one thing to come up with a plan of action for exploring unknown country while sitting safely inside a nice, cozy tree with all of your friends within earshot. Its another thing to find yourself someplace unlike any other enviroment you have ever been in, and stick to the plan. Especially if you're only ten.

Until I got to Hyrule Field, I failed to see some very serious flaws with the half-a-day-journey-to-point-B plan. Specifically, that the warp I had taken to get to the forest had magical properties, which meant I could be anywhere in relation to Death Mountain, and that what looked like a small field from a mountain is really big up close.

So I did what you would have done. I panicked, ran around screaming, ran straight into a peahat, got several nasty wounds, and lay on the ground crying until dark. When the Stalchildren attacked me. So I mustered up the last bit of strength I could find, and ran until they weren't chasing me. That's when I passed out.

When I woke up, I was in a room. A rather odd room, at least for someone who lived in trees and caves. It was rectangular, and its walls were white. And there was a big pair of eyes hovering over me. Hmm. Interesting. HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED!

"Whoa, it's okay. Calm down. You're okay now. Ooo-oo-ooooooo-oo-oo-ooooo-oo-oo-ooooo-oooooo-oo" the eyes murmered. Ok, it wasn't just eyes, it was a red-haired girl, a little younger than me. I didn't know it then, but this was the person who had found me on her doorstep, and who was going to be a good friend of mine. But if you want a name, she's Malon, the sweetheart of LonLon ranch, and one of the kindest Hylians you could ever hope to meet. "Its okay, its okay. I'm Malon. Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm Aglaya." This was supposed to sound proud and confident and all, but it came out as more of a pathetic whisper.

"Okay, Algayo. We found you on our ranch this morning."

"Not Algayo, A-Glay-A" I corrected.

"Okay. Ah Glah A. You have a pretty nasty cut on your back. It looks like..."

"If you can't say my name, you can call me Aine." I had forgotten that Kokiri had trouble saying my name. And Malon had to be a Kokiri, right? She certaintly wasn't a Goron.

"Well, it looks like you had a scuffle with a peahat, Ann."

"No, not Ann, Aine, with an I. And what's a peahat?"

"The big blade-things in the field. Where were you going, An? You won't be able to move for a while, so we should send word back to your folks that you're here."

"I was going up Death Mountain. But nobody would be worried about me. I don't have family."

"You don't have anyone?" I shook my head. I was not welcome at the forest, and the Gorons were not expecting me. They might not even want me. "And don't you know that you can't go up Death Mountain? You need the king's permission." So much for that plan. "Where are you from, anyway?"

"I'm from the forest." She wouldn't believe that I was from an unaccessable mountain.

"No you're not! Forest children have wings and hair made of grass!"

"No they don't. They look just like you, only whispier" I stopped. This didn't make sense. "Aren't you a Kokiri, too?"

Malon giggled. "No. I'm a Hylian. Kokiri are forest children, right? And you're not one of them, because you said '_they_ look just like you', not '_we_ look just like you'. So tell me the truth. Who are you?"

Well, wasn't she clever. I couldn't think of any reason not to tell her, except that she wouldn't believe me. So I told her everything. I'm pretty sure she believed me. She must have. Right?

I ended up staying at the ranch as a hired hand. Apparently nobody worries too much about the child labor laws established during the rein of Nohasseen the VII, because I had never worked so hard before in my life. Which isn't that surprising, come to think of it. I had never _worked_ a day in my life before. And now I was learning how to do all kinds of ranch-type things, like how to milk a cow, or ride a horse, or not be pecked to death by killer cucoos, plus all of the swear words I learned from Ingo, who kind of scared me. He's got this eye-brow thing going on, and he mumbled to himself a lot.

There were some plus sides to the whole job thing. Like money. I had never had more than five rupees at a time before. With a job, I felt fabuously wealthy.

Malon gave me a name she found in a book at the Skeikah library in Kakariko (Impa's House). Skakuntala. Everybody could pronounce Skakuntala, but they had trouble with Aglaya and Aine. I can't explain it. Maybe you can. We didn't know what it meant, but it sounded nice.

The Lonlons keep a room at the Castle Town because its a long ride from there to the ranch with three or four crates of milk in tow. They take milk, cows, and other sundry ranch things just about everywhere in the kingdom. Just to let you know.

When I turned 11 (by my best estimate) I got a few days off to go up Death Mountain. I missed my big, lovable Goron family. And if I missed them so much, they must have missed me as well. So I went to the castle to plead for permission to go up to Goron City. Malon went with me for moral support. I was still a very shy person, and kings and such scared me.

I, being the mountain-forest-country bumpkin that I was, got seperated from Malon and hopelessly lost almost as soon as I got inside the castle. It gets pretty crowded on audience days. Being shy, I snuck off to a quiet, deserted bedroom. Probably for guests, I thought, Maybe Malon would find me here. I was just thinking about going out to ask directions when the door opened.

"Hello...um...I'm sorry for..." I started, but the room's new occupant had seized me from behind and was shaking me. "Sweet Din! Get away from me!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU? AND WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? YOU STOLE THAT FROM ONE OF THE GUESTS!! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!" My assailant, a rather muscular woman(?), screeched.

"M'am," I said, as politely as possible under the circumstances, "I don't know who you have mistaken me for, but I am not her. I'm Aglaya from Lonlon Ranch, and I was in here because, ow. Hey, that hurt!" My attacker had one hand pulling out my naturally blond hair, and the other hand was pinching my ear. She was leading me away.

"Look, 'Agaia'... I don't..."

"Its Aglaya. But if you can't pronounce that, you can call me Aine. Or, Shak...&#! OUCH! LOOK, LADY, I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU #& THINK I AM, BUT I AM TELLING THE TRUTH. AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO...OWIE, OWIE, OWIE." Really. This was starting to hurt. A LOT. If only I hadn't given my knives to the guards on the way in. I was going to start kicking, when I spotted Malon, talking to a girl whose face I couldn't see.

"Malon! MALON! It's me! HELP!" I shouted. "Hey, lady, stop, here, this girl can back up my story."

Malon came racing over. "Shakuntala! What did you do? I was so worried about you when you got lost, I looked everywhere! But guess who I..."

My captor yanked my hair harder. "What have you been telling this poor girl? Dear, this _isn't_ 'Shakuntala'. This is..."

"Wait! Release her! Godesses, can't you tell the difference between me and...OO"a/n: aren't faces fun? The speaker got a look at me the same time I saw her. My rescurer was the girl Malon had been talking to. She had bright blue eyes, really long ears, and a nose that seems a little too pointy, on a tear-shaped face. She was wearing a hair-scarf, but I could see some blond hair poking out from underneath. Her eyebrows seemed almost green against her skin. If I hadn't been slightly sunburned, she would have looked exactly like me. A.N. Oh, the suspense...


	3. This May Look Like Me, But Its Really My...

Chapter 3: I May Look Like Me, But I'm Really My Evil Twin

Author Note: Sorry to leave you hanging. I've written this chapter twice, so I forgot that you didn't know what happens. My wordprocessor has a password protect option, and I had this chapter done, but I saved it to a password and forgot the password. Go figure. So this isn't as good as the original, so it must be pretty bad. Just a friendly warning, from yours truly.

Also, do you ever think about the lights at WalMart? If it's open 24/7, then...wait, the readers just handed me a message...:

STOP STALLING AND GET BACK TO THE STORY!

Geez. Calm down.

For a long moment, nobody said anything. Malon stared at the girl and me. I stared at my twin. She stared at me. The other guest-people walked around us.

Evil hair-pulling woman broke the silence. "Quick, in here" she ordered us, shoving our party into a small sitting room off to the side. I looked at her. She was a very muscular, white haired woman, wearing black shorts, leather straps, a breast plate, and not much else. She was stroking an odd eye symbol that hung at her neck. Her eyes were a deep, startling blood red. "They can be trusted, by the way." She remarked to my long-lost clone.

"Wait, just one minute! You can't know that! And is anyone going to have the courtesy to tell me what's going on?" I burst out, all shyness forgotten for moment. Malon kicked me. Hard. I was going to regret this day in the morning."Ow. What was that for?"

"_Shakuntala, this is Princess Zelda. Heir to the throne. And all powerful. And it would be a good idea to be polite_." She hissed at me through clenched teeth.

"Malon, this girl has every right to be a little angry. I think we owe her an explanation." Her Royal Wonderful Highness stated in a very royal, regal way.

"Zelda, do you think that maybe we just solved a problem?" The abs of steel woman inquired, apparently having taken out all her bad mood on me.

"Impa, you read my mind." Zelda turned to me. "Shakuntala? I'm in a very bad situation. You see, as the next in line to inherit the throne, my every move is watched, often by people who want to kill me. So I have to have a certain amount of secrecy in my movements. I sometimes need to go places, to be in two places at once. I'm in terrible danger. I need an alibi, and I was wondering if you would be able to provide one for me. It would be dangerous. You would be putting your life in danger. And anyone who you had contact with. But, would you?" Not very articulate for royalty. I could have put it better.

"You want me to be a body double. Like, take your place. Why do you need me, though? Don't you have guards and stuff?"

"Yes, I have guards. But I think that some of them are spies, and even if they aren't, it's not very hard to slip by them. And there is someone in particular that I suspect is plotting to kill me, and I can't let him know that I know that he is. So, if you would take my place once in a while, I could go do things to stop him without him knowing. I'm sorry. I'm not doing a very good job explaining..." She did look sorry. Almost in tears.

"It's Okay. I understand. I'll help any way I can." I said. Why not? I had no problem with the royal family, and I certainly didn't want my "twin" killed. How could that be good?

"Wait. What if this bad guy person kills Shakuntala by mistake? Can you protect her, too? And what would you do if someone saw the two of you together?" Malon was listing questions I hadn't even thought to _think_ of. "What happens when the threat is over? She'll be living in the castle, right? What if she wants to leave? What if someone realizes that she's an imposter? And...What about me? Will I ever see her again?"

"Malon is right. You would be putting yourself in danger. You would have to disguise yourself all the time. Nobody could know of your similarities to the princess. You would have to take on her identity while she is away. You would have to learn everything she knows, her opinions on everything, her facial expressions, everything. And, of course, you would be just as much a target for assassination as she is. Your family may not be able to see you for a while." Well. Impa was just making me feel great. Maybe a new ruler wouldn't be the end of the world. But she was still talking.

"Normally, we would never ask this of anyone, much less a child. But the fate of Hyrule is at stake. If this man were to take the throne, then... evil would destroy Hyrule. The world would be plunged into an age of darkness." Groan. Why me?

"Oh, come on! Now you're just trying to get her to agree to your stupid scheme! Well, we're not buying it. Come on, Shakuntala. Let's go get that permit." Malon started for the door, all politeness forgotten. Thank Din.

"You don't believe us, do you?" Zelda asked sadly. "Please, Malon, just go to the end of the hall and peak around the corner. You'll believe us then."

Malon did just that, and ran back to our little room, panting. "Tala (that's my nickname!), maybe you should do it. For the good of Hyrule and all that. I think we may be dealing with some serious evil here."

"Okay. When should I come back? Tomorrow?" I already knew what the answer was. Eleven and still being booted from one home to another.

"No. Someone might see you." Impa didn't miss a beat. "Stay here. I'll tell them you're...my niece. We can make your hair look brown, and the eye doctor on the Lake has some little disks, contacts(?), that can make your eyes red. That should be enough. Of course, as a new resident, you would have to take a screening test, but that would just be a formality."

Impa left the room and returned quickly with a miniature of her own outfit and a bag of something. She must keep spare children's clothes around. Weird.

"You don't really expect me to wear those, do you? Where's the _cloth_?"

Nobody said anything. They didn't need to. I obviously couldn't go around dressed like I woke up in a tree. I sighed and grabbed the pile of metal and leather. The things I do for my country.

"Wait, close your eyes and tilt your head back real quick." Impa had grabbed the bag and was heading towards me.

"What are you going to do?" This was the woman who had tried to rip my head off a few minutes ago.

But she didn't hurt me, she just poured some dusty brown stuff and some water on my hair. "This will wash out easy. Just don't get wet once it dries, or your hair will turn blonde again. We'll send for some contacts soon. Until then, just keep your head down and don't let anyone see your eyes. Try to slip back to the stables, and I'll say you've just arrived."

Despite the fact that I was wearing a metal corset and not much else, no one looked at me as Malon and I made our way to the stables. As soon as she saw we were alone, Malon hugged me.

"I'm going to miss you so much! And I won't be able to see you or anything! I wish you didn't have to do this! What if something happens to you?"

"Malon, I don't have to do this. We can leave, right now! By the time they know I'm gone, it will be too late!" I was a little afraid. What if something _did_ happen to me?

"No, you have to stay here. You should have seen the guy they think is out to get her. He just radiates evil. You have to help out. What good would it do if you ran away now, only to be killed a little later?" Ok, now she was just quoting from those fairytales she reads. And the evil dictator who wanted Zelda and all who help her dead wasn't making me feel any braver. "Here. I was going to give this to you later, but here. For your collection. Happy Birthday." She handed me a throwing knife like my other two. This one had a leather handle with a horse embellished on it. I remembered my other two daggers, still in the clutches of castle security. This would look great with them.

"And dad wanted me to give you Anope." Anope was a white baby pony with a red mane. She would be to young to ride for a long time, so I had wondered why Malon had insisted on taking her with us.

"Wait...did you _expect_ me to be leaving for good or something?"

"Kinda, yes. We thought that once you were with the Gorons you would want to stay with them."

I had forgotten why I had come to the castle in the first place. I wouldn't be seeing Malon, or the Gorons for a long time. It would put them in too much danger.

"Tala? When it's over, you are going to come back to see me, right?"

I nodded. "Of course. As soon as I can. I promise."

Malon took off towards home. She was crying. I felt awful about leaving her, but I didn't have much time to think, because Impa came bursting in.

"Here, hold still. I forgot to put make-up on you! They'll be here in a second. I've told them your my niece. Your mother's name was Lakeeya, and you've come to live with me because she just died. You've lived in Termina. Don't worry about details. Keep your head down, and don't wipe your eyes. Your make-up might come off. Sheikah don't display emotion in public, so no more crying. Oh, and I got your daggers back from security."

She was painting some weird symbols on my cheeks in white. I wasn't aware that I had been crying. That was okay. It would make little orphan me look more believable.

She had just finished when a guard walked through the door.

"Is this the girl, Impa?"

"Yes, sir. This is my niece. I was hoping she could come and live with me."

The guard turned to me. "Shakuntala, is it?" I nodded. Good, no new names. "And I understand that your mother just died. Where have you been living?"

"Termina." I wasn't scared. I **was not** scared. The worst that could happen was that I would get caught and sent back to Lonlon, where I could wear something more decent, right?. I kept my eyes down.

"Yes. And your mother's name?"

Uh-oh. What did Impa say? Did it start with L? I couldn't remember. I wanted to burst out crying to stall for time, but Impa had told me not to do that. So I bit my lip, like I was fighting back tears. Farore, what was I going to say? Laky? Laka? Lakeeya? It didn't matter. I was out of time.

"My mother's name was Lakeeya." I said, trying not to make it a question. I felt Impa squeeze my shoulder. Was that right?

"Okay, and I understand that you've been raised a Sheikah?" I nodded. "Then could you tell me the Sheikah word for Cow?"

What? The Sheikah word for cow? What was _with_ this guard? I fought back an urge to look up at him. Its a good thing Malon liked Sheikah fairytales so much. And a good thing that I listened. I remembered the story that my name was from... Shakuntala was this girl whose best friend fell in love with this guy, and so she...

"Tala! The man asked you a question." Impa growled at me.

"Sorry, aunt." Skip the plot, just get to the cow...the enchanted cow from the story, its name was... "Cheva." I murmured. Uh-oh, the guard still looked suspicious. Maybe I took a tad too long.

"Hmm. I see. Well, I have no reason to suspect either Impa or you of plotting against the throne, so welcome to the castle." The guard said in a slightly annoyed voice.

"See, Tala? I told you it wasn't anything to worry about. Just routine." If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that she was comforting a frightened child. Oh, wait. She was.

The guard stalked out, and Impa sighed. Maybe she had been just as nervous as I was.

"Thank goddesses you made it though! When he asked you that cow question... That was Percival. We're fairly certain he's one of the spies. But you did good. We will have to brief you on Sheikah culture, as part of your disguise and because Zelda knows all about it. I hope you like to learn. You'll have to know who's who, and how to be diplomatic, and how to act just like the princess..." I was only half listening to her. I had collapsed and was clinging desperately to Anope. My brain hurt just thinking about learning all that stuff. "How did you know the word for cow, anyway?"

What? Cow? What's a cow? Oh, yeah. "My name comes from a fairytale with a cow in it, so I guessed. Fairytale creatures never have very original names."

"Do you know what your name means?" I shook my head. All I knew was sleep. "Shakuntala, your name means 'the shadow that is light'. It is a good name." I liked it. The shadow that is light. Neat. Can I faint now? I think I need to.

I spent the next month or so learning how to be Zelda. I learned everything a ten year old heir to a kingdom would be expected to know, plus, all of Zelda's opinions on everything. Plus all of her facial expressions. Plus a million little details about her life. Shakuntala, Impa's niece, got a reputation for being a little crazy, because I would wander around making faces and making small talk to imaginary people. And my eyes hurt. 'Contacts' are hard to put in.

There was only one thing that I couldn't do, and that almost ruined the whole charade. I was completely, hopelessly tone deaf. I couldn't sing or play an instrument to save my life. Saria and Malon had tried countless times to teach me. Singing is part of a lot of royal ceremonies, too. After all, music is one of the most powerful magical forces in Hyrule.

In the end, Impa advised me to say I had a sore throat if anyone asked me to sing.

So, I started going to minor events, to try to fool semi-important nobles. Then, bigger things, like courts, or state diners. Soon, I was replacing Zelda for days at a time.

When I wasn't doubling for her, I was usually with her. You don't study someone like that and not become friends. At least I don't.

I knew that something big was going down. I started having these weird nightmares involving blue octagons and rainbows. And I wasn't the only one. Zelda kept waking up in the middle of the night, screaming. We averaged about two hours of sleep each night. Which may have been a good thing, because we started finding threatening notes in various places. I was eating breakfast one morning when a dagger imbedded itself in my omelette. I threw it straight back. I was getting to be a good shot.

Impa kept telling us that we should go, and the sooner, the better. But Zelda said that she had to wait for someone, who was helping to gather something. I had no clue what they were talking about, so I just nodded and smiled. I had adapted to the diplomat role well.

Zelda wanted to go and ask for the support of the Gorons when things heated up. The more people on our side, the better. I would have liked to go, of course, but I had to stay behind.

So I was sitting in this garden, practicing with my knives. I had a new one, with a gold handle and lots of jewels. Because I refused to go unarmed, and princesses don't carry cheap blades. Anyway, I was just throwing them around, and one landed right at the foot of some kid in a mask. Why am I always the one who gets the assassins?

"The next one goes through your brain." I threatened. Hey, he didn't know the first one had been an accident.

"Zel, relax. Its just me." The boy picked up my knife and took off the mask. And I recognized him.

"Link? What are you doing here?" Oops. Out of character.

"Well, I'm selling these cool masks, and I was wondering if you would like to buy one."

"Oh. No thanks. But, uh, good luck with that." Memo to self: fire guards.

"And I was wondering where the third spiritual stone was." The whatsit?

"Its with the er...a..." Come on, Tala, say something. Anything.

"The Zora?" Nod and smile... "Okay, Thanks, Zel." Zel? Who calls her Zel? "I'll have it by Friday." He disappeared, leaving me thinking "huh?"

Unfortunately, come Friday, there was some serious trouble at the castle. Zelda found a note that said "I warned you" in the morning, and the day went downhill from there. One of the food testers had food poisoning, and security caught three people trying to break in, all of them with battle axes. Plus there were several arrows stuck in the bedroom door. I went off to a corner to have a mental collapse.

A few hours later, Impa woke me up. "Tala, we have to leave. Get in costume. You have to give the princess time to escape. If they follow us... I would have liked to prepare you more for this, but we've waited long enough. You're going to have to rule the kingdom for a while. I know it sounds crazy, but it's our last chance. The princess and I have to leave, so you're the only one left."

Huh? My thoughts were still getting back on track. What was it she wanted? Me to rule the kingdom? Okay. I nodded. WAIT! RULE THE KINGDOM? ME? I can't even grow a plant, much less rule a kingdom! This was _not_ in the job description!

"Don't worry, I'll be coming back soon. Watch your back while I'm gone."

Din, Nayru, and Farore! What had I gotten myself into?

A/n: Sorry, another cliffhanger. I don't mean to. I'm just naturally evil. ;-)


	4. Hey, If the Tiara Fits

Chapter 4: Well, If the Tiara Fits...

Where were we? Our heroine just woke up and found out that she was in charge of Hyrule, right?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I started getting into my royal attire. Which takes a really long time. You would be surprised. Or maybe you wouldn't be.

Impa was pounding on Zelda's bedroom door. She had locked it, and we could hear her muttering to herself.

"Zelda! Hurry! We have to leave!" The door didn't open.

"Hey, Impa, do you think she should change into my clothes or something?" I said as I tried to blink out my contacts. Stupid things.

"No, no, there isn't time. ZELDA! GET OUT HERE!"

The door opened. "Sorry. I'm coming. What should I pack?"

"PACK? ARE YOU INSANE? We have to get out of here!"

Zelda was looking around the room nervously. She wasn't being as stupid as Impa thought. She was stalling. Which made no sense to me, but then, I still didn't know what was going on.

"Here, take my stuff." I bundled up all my clothes (and my contacts. I didn't want them) and shoved them into Zelda's hands. "Get going. It will be okay. I'll see you soon."

"Exactly what I've been trying to tell you. Hurry up!" Impa pulled Zelda out the door and slammed it shut. Leaving me alone. But not for long.

"Princess, something terrible has happened. You are needed at once." A random guard walked into my room. I tried to look outraged.

"What are you doing in here? Didn't anyone teach you to knock?"

"Well, Princess, given the present emergency..."

"What? What's the matter?" Yes! Some answers. Finally.

"Well, the King, your father, it seems, has been poisoned."

"Poisoned? Is he..."

"He is still alive, but he is asleep. We can't wake him..." Oh well. As long as he was alive. If he was dead, that made me queen. And that would be very bad indeed.

"Take me to him. How do you know he was poisoned?"

"Well, we aren't sure, but the castle healer says that his condition is an effect of a certain magical potion that she is familiar with..."

"Then call every magician in the kingdom here. And don't allow anyone to leave this castle." No, that wouldn't work. "Except for Impa and her niece. They are on a very important mission for me and must not be detained. And find out who has left already." I stopped to be amazed at myself. Where was I getting all this from? I have trouble deciding what to eat for breakfast, for Din's sake!

"Yes, Princess." The guard bowed and left. To do _my_ bidding. Wow. I'm freaking out.

The king looked pretty bad. He wasn't breathing well, and he was pale. I walked into his room, and was swamped by advisors. Telling me to do the things I had just done. Good. I wasn't a total failure. I was about to smile when I collapsed. It wasn't that I was tired or frightened. I was standing one minute and on the ground the next. Someone helped me up.

"I realize this is very hard on you, Princess. Why don't you just stay here, and we'll sort all of this out for you." It was Percival, the guard who had asked me about the cows. Remember him? I yanked my hand back.

"No, Thank you. I am perfectly all right." I replied coldly. Yay! I can reply coldly! This will be fun.

I personally talked to every guard, servant, and cook in the place. Which took a lot of time. No one had seen anything, but they all say that. And I couldn't fire all of them. I hired food testers for the king. Very trusting guy, the king. He didn't have any.

I had had a major head ache since my fall that morning, so I was really looking forward to sitting down when some guy crashes into my room. A guy in black armor. Whoop-Di-do.

I knew who it was. Ganondorf. The very guy that was trying to take over the world. We had never met, because Impa had been afraid that he would guess what was going on. I was scared stiff. This was not going to go well.

"Sir, I really must ask you to leave. If you have a concern, you can schedule an appointment with my secretary on your way out..." Did I have a secretary? I should.

He cut me off. How rude. "What? But you were just... I just... How could?" Then he recovered and gave me an insincere smile. Git. "Forgive me, but I thought that I saw you and your attendant...I tried to catch you, but..." Good. They got away. Neener neener neener.

"Impa is indeed on a mission for me. She will return shortly." I smiled. It hurt. "And now, if you don't mind, I must leave. I have much to do today."

"Of course. I realize how hard this must be for you. But if you need any help at all with the coronation ceremony, please, don't hesitate to ask me."

"You must be mistaken. There will be no coronation." I have enough to handle. Plus, don't coronations involve singing? I refuse to sing.

"Yes, there will be. Your father is no longer able to rule. I am sure he will not be recovering."

What makes him so sure? Not that I ever cared one way or the other about the king, but things had changed. "No. My father is merely ill. During that time, I will rule, but only in his stead."

"You have no real authority until you have been made queen."

"I am sure that, real or not, my authority will not be challenged." Why was he pushing this?

"You must accept the throne!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes"

"NO!"

"Yes!"

This could go on forever. "Ganondorf, I appreciate your concern, but my father is neither dead nor dying. Good day." I left the room. I've always wanted to say that. But I was worried about his strange insistence that I be crowned queen. What's in it for him?

For six months, I was in charge of the fate of Hyrule. The King remained in the same condition. Nobody could find a remedy for the poison. There were no attempts to kill either the King or me. There were no rebellions or uprisings. And there was no sign of Impa or Zelda.

I accomplished something. I made it illegal to poach in the Lost Woods. And I didn't throw the kingdom into chaos. Point for me.

In the seventh month of my reign, I started to feel ill constantly. I would space out in the middle of conversations. I was running a small fever. But I didn't tell anyone. No, I don't know why.

On the last morning of my time as a princess, I felt a violent need to go to the Temple of Time in Castle Town. I grabbed my handy dandy Kokiri hat, which I kept looped around my belt like a bag, and my knives. I never go anywhere without them. They're the most stable item in my life. Which is sad, if you think about it. But I don't like to.

When I got there, I had a rather bad shock. I may not have been to the Temple for a few months, but I was fairly certain that those jewels had not been there. And where did the block on the alter go? I was about to investigate, but a boy about my age came running into the Temple. He was dressed in Castle livery, and breathing hard.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Princess." He bowed. I still hate it when people call me princess. "The King has been murdered."

"What? Who murdered him?" Wait, let me guess. I wish the guards were a little more vigilant.

"Ganondorf. He got tired of waiting for the poison to work. But he's taking over, right now, and you need to leave. They're coming after you." I had to trust him, didn't I? I started for the door.

"Wait, Anope! I have to go back for my horse!" I need my horse. She's my best friend.

"It's okay, 'Tala. I brought her with me. But you need to go." Thank Farore! I blinked. Tala? Tala was so six months ago."How do you know my name?"

"Well, umm, I'm Kosan, and, er, I work in the stables, and, well, you talk to Anope sometimes."

"You spy on me? Does any one else know? Have you told anyone?"

"No, of course not. And I wasn't exactly spying, I just overheard what you were saying! Well, maybe I was spying a little..." Kosan blushed. He was kind of cute. He had brown hair and really cute green eyes. But you don't care. You want to find out what happened to _me._ Right?

Well, we got away. A few of the townspeople were evacuating too. We just blended in.

When we were reasonably safe, Kosan asked me, "Where are you going to go? He'll be looking for you for a while, so you need a place to hide."

Place to hide? With the Gorons? No, that would put them in danger. The Kokiri? They aren't very good at keeping secrets. Lonlon? No, I couldn't put _anyone_ I loved in danger. Kakariko? Ha ha. I was beginning to develop a deep mistrust of humans. I could leave the kingdom, but I felt like killing myself the instant I thought of that. I could go with the Er...Ah... Hmm. Deja vu. I laughed. I wonder what Link did when he found out that the "erah" didn't exist.

"I hate to interrupt your thought process, but we do need to find somewhere you can stay." My extremely cute rescuer urged.

"But I don't trust anyone. Isn't there a place that no one goes where I can live alone or something?"

"Now that you mention it, yes. At the source of the river, there's a waterfall. There's this huge gate blocking the entrance, and no one tries to go up there anyway. And the water drowns out noise, so you can sing all you want." He was teasing me. So why hadn't I killed him yet?

"Sounds like the perfect place for me. Let's go."

There. Not exactly a cliffie. I'm getting better. :-)


End file.
